1. Field of the Invention
The present inventions relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, an imaging device has become widely used that is capable of generating a stereoscopic image including a left-eye parallax image and a right-eye parallax image of a subject. Such an imaging device can be, e.g., a multiview camera having two or more optical systems for imaging or can generate parallax images by image processing of images captured from multiple different viewpoints using a single-lens camera.
On the other hand, a display device has also become widely used that is for presenting a video image with a depth to a viewer by presenting a left-eye image and a right-eye image included in a stereoscopic image to a left eye and a right eye of the viewer, respectively. In particular, three-dimensional televisions for consumer use that use shutter glasses are spreading rapidly, and there are more opportunities to view stereoscopic images freely in a living room that are captured by a general audience.
When viewing a stereoscopic image including a left-eye parallax image and a right-eye parallax image on a display device, the viewer tries to localize the stereoscopic image in the brain by mainly using binocular parallax as a cue. If an image displayed on the display device is not appropriate as a stereoscopic image, a burden associated with stereoscopic viewing while adjusting the convergence angle of both eyes, etc., can be imposed on the viewer. Even in the case of content provided by a provider of a stereoscopic image after performing proper parallax adjustment for realizing a stereoscopic video image, a case might occur where a video image that is not appropriate as a stereoscopic image is generated as a result of a viewer reducing or enlarging the stereoscopic video image for display or the viewer cutting out a part of the stereoscopic video image for display.